Monsters and Masks
by SWTORpadawan
Summary: "It was the Sith who freed me, my dear Padawan. The Sith offered me the chance at the power to seek my own destiny. Whether that chance proves to be an illusion or no, a Sith is what I am. The dark side gives me strength, it's true. But I have my own goals, my own dreams, my own ambitions. And my actions are taken according to my own choice."


**_Author's Notes:_**_ I know I'm not the first to reflect on the fact that mobs in the game generally maintain position until aggroed, even if they have a plain line of sight to your OC hacking their way through their fellows. On a recent playthrough, the following story came into my mind._

* * *

Deep within the cave in the Kaamas lands on Alderaan, Jedi Padawan Jaynah Lonestar held her ground, even as the sounds of battle – primarily blaster-fire and the occasional screams of agony – echoed through the tunnel.

Every instinct in her body practically cried out to her to run towards the fighting. Her fellow defenders – two more Padawans, Samus and Ghabi. along with a platoon of soldiers from House Organa – were in combat with some unknown invader. They were in danger. Perhaps they were wounded or even killed.

But Jaynah gritted her teeth and stayed at her post. Master Inul's instructions had been quite strict: She was to protect the master commlink console hidden within the cave, serving as the final line of defense. They had all known that an attack was possible. The cave, after all, was less than a kilometer from the Palace of House Thul, the Sith Empire's proxies on Alderaan. House Organa, given their long-standing loyalty to the Republic and friendship with the Jedi order, had setup this hidden encampment with Jedi assistance, using it to conduct operations against the Thuls and their Imperial masters. The console behind Jaynah was essentially the lynchpin of their plans and could not be allowed to fall into enemy hands. It would remain safe so long as it remained undiscovered.

Evidently, that was no longer a possibility.

Jaynah wished Master Inul was with them right now, and not back at Organa Palace, advising the Duke. She had sent Inul the emergency message as soon as the attack had started, but she knew it would be awhile before help arrived. Whatever was going on in the outer chambers of the cave, things did not seem to be going in favor of the defenders. Jaynah glanced around herself, trying to remain calm. The chamber she was in was the end of the lit tunnel. Even if she had wanted to retreat to safety, it wouldn't be an option for her at this point.

Sensing a dark presence finally approaching her position, Jaynah ignited her brilliant green lightsaber – taking comfort in the light it cast in the dark tunnels - and prepared to do battle.

_There is no emotion, there is peace_. Jaynah mentally recited the first line of the Jedi Code, as Master Inul had taught her.

Jaynah and her fellow Padawans had known an excursion by House Thul troops was certainly possible. It was likewise a possibility that Imperial commandos – so-called "military advisors" – would be the ones to find them here. It was even possible, if the Organa defenders and their Jedi protectors were very unlucky indeed, that the Sith themselves might attack them here, a thought Jaynah did not relish, and made the hairs on her neck stand on end. Nevertheless, she felt prepared.

But the creature who rounded the corner and emerged from the tunnel was a nightmare almost beyond description.

It was massive, standing well over two meters tall, so towering that it had to duck its head until it stepped fully into the chamber. It was humanoid, but only barely. Powerful muscles adorned its nearly bare body, as wore only a primitive loincloth. Its skin was dark and scaly, best described as reptilian more than anything else. Its face was twisted; all sharp fangs and red eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness of the cavern. It carried a massive vibrosword in a single hand, and the weapon dripped with the blood of victims already dispatched.

As a Jedi Padawan, Jaynah was familiar with dozens or even hundreds of species. She had never seen anything remotely like this.

But it wasn't its appearance that chilled Jaynah's blood. Trying to gain a sense of the monster through the Force, the creature seemed to resist her attempts.

_No_. Jaynah realized to her horror. _It wasn't resisting me. It was resisting the **Force itself**._

Just looking upon it felt so **wrong**.

It was at that moment the beast let out a roar from its mis-shaped mouth and charged her.

Jaynah had always prided herself on her combat ability with her lightsaber. Inul and her other masters had praised her talent, and she had always been confident that she could defend herself and others. That was largely why she had been chosen to protect the communications array.

She was a Jedi. She wouldn't give in to fear.

She met the monster's charge, her lightsaber meeting his vibrosword. She barely blocked his first attack; the creature's strength was immense, and his blade held up against her saber. Most likely, its alloy was woven with cortosis metal. Again and again, their weapons met. She had initially been hoping that while it clearly held the advantage in strength, that perhaps she held the edge in agility, speed and skill.

That hope was rapidly fading. The monster was at least as quick as she was, and far more vicious.

Jaynah inevitably started to give ground.

The monster was relentless. It had the advantage, and it plainly knew it. It didn't even need both hands to manipulate the sword it wielded. More, it seemed almost elated at the fight. If its twisted mouth could even form a smile, she suspected it would be grinning. Jaynah felt herself starting to tire, as she expended more and more energy just to hold it off.

Then she felt the cave wall behind her. She had run out of room to fall back.

Jaynah's stoic resolve only slipped for a fraction of a second from the distraction. But that was all the opening her opponent needed.

Letting out a growl, their weapons locked together, the beast reached out with its enormous free palm, grasping Jaynah's hands as they clutched her lightsaber hilt. In a single motion, they slammed her hands and her lightsaber against the rocky wall of the cavern.

Jaynah let out a cry as the bones in her right hand shattered, the damaged lightsaber shutting down and falling from her grip. She fell to her knees as the monster let her drop, clutching her wounded fingers gingerly. She glanced upward, watching the creature raise its blade to finish her off. Wounded and exhausted, she was unable to gather the Force to defend herself.

She was finished.

With the last of her strength, Jaynah managed to turn out the pain and fear of what was about to come.

"There is no death. There is the Force." She recited the final line of the code, bitterly. She hoped it was so.

Just then, a clear voice called out from the tunnel.

"Khem! No."

The monster – did the voice call it a _Khem_? – froze in mid-stroke, its blade mere inches from Jaynah's lithe neck.

Its massive head turned to look behind it and it growled in frustration, saying something in a language she didn't recognize. It was only then that Jaynah managed to look past it and catch a sight of the one who had commanded it to freeze.

She saw a man step into the chamber, one with a slight build and long dark robes that fell to his ankles. His face was concealed by a strange and foreboding skull-mask that enclosed his entire head, complete with a metal face plate and what appeared to be breathing slits around the mouth and nose. It effectively concealed his eyes as well as any other feature. The dark robes he wore covered his entire body but did not appear to restrict his movement. He wore a utility belt around his waist, not unlike Jaynah's own, with a lightsaber clipped to it.

Even if she didn't feel him through the Force, she'd know immediately that he was a Sith.

"You heard me, Khem." The Sith spoke sternly, his words slightly distorted (and perhaps more menacing) through the mask. "She is defeated. Now stand guard, please, in case one of those Organa commandos turns up behind us."

Reluctantly, the monster stepped away from Jaynah, letting out a low growl as it passed the Sith. It finally came to a stop several meters away, effectively blocking the cave tunnel. The Sith simply sighed, making his way to where Jaynah was still sitting. Despite the Sith standing directly in front of her, the young Padawan found herself starting to breathe again.

"I must apologize for Khem." The Sith spoke casually, crossing his arm an offering her a courtly bow, the kind that she had seen used in Organa Palace. "In his defense, he waited literally thousands of years to terrorize and consume Jedi again. Really, he's quite famished."

Jaynah glared up at the Sith, trying to keep the fear from her voice.

"You're going to kill me."

The Sith made a sound through the mask, and it took Jaynah a second to realize he had clucked his tongue in a 'tisk tisk' reproach.

"Use your reason, Padawan. If I had wanted you dead, I would have allowed Khem to finish you off." The Sith's tone almost sounded mirthful. No doubt he was mocking her.

Jaynah bit her lip, her brow furrowing.

"Then you're going to take me prisoner. Interrogate me and torture me for information, then try to turn me to the dark side." She felt her resolve start to grow as she convinced herself of the situation. She had to show him she wasn't an easy mark.

"I won't break."

"Really, is that what I'm supposed to do?" the Sith tilted his head at her. "I suppose many Sith might attempt such a thing. But I'm not them, and even if I were, I'm on something of a schedule. Appearances to the contrary, my primary purpose here is not to assist House Thul in their local affairs. I was unfortunately compelled to aid them by a rather demanding Moff. All very tedious, you see. Alderaan is a pleasant world to visit, I'm sure, but I'm here on business. Anything that extends my stay on this world longer than necessary is interfering with my goal."

Jaynah still wasn't sure if she could believe anything he said. He was probably trying to manipulate her. The masters had always warned her about that. Still, while he was speaking, he wasn't causing harm to herself or others. Her hand was still a mess. She'd been trying to use her Jedi training to deal with the injury, but the most she'd managed so far was to ease the pain. She needed more time.

"Then why are you on Alderaan?" she asked.

"Ah, now. That would be telling, Padawan." He seemed amused. "Suffice to say that which I seek has nothing to do with the Jedi, your Republic or the conflict for Alderaan."

He was trying to persuade her of his intent. But why?

For the moment, another thought was gnawing at her.

"Did you kill the others?" she finally asked.

"Hmm? Oh, your friends outside." The Sith glanced back out the tunnel where his monster was still brooding. "Well, I'm afraid Khem got to your Nautolan before I could intervene. Far from sating him, it merely stirred his hunger, hence he sought you out." He paused and she wondered if he was going to taunt her somehow over Ghabi's death. Instead he surprised her. "I regret the loss of her life."

Jaynah's eyes dropped in sadness. She'd only known Ghabi for a few months, but she'd been a good friend.

"Regarding the lovely blonde human, she is merely unconscious. She suffered a minor concussion when I Force pushed her into the cavern wall, but I then ensured she would suffer no greater damage. That's why my dramatic entrance was delayed."

"As for the Organa troopers, they either fought to the death or fled on foot." He sighed regretfully. "Apparently, many people have second thoughts about surrendering to a Sith."

"The Sith have no one to blame but themselves for those 'second thoughts'." Jaynah snapped at him impetuously.

The Sith simply tilted his head at her. "Perhaps it is so."

The admission took Jaynah by surprise. She grew quiet, trying to determine how to proceed from here.

It was the Sith who finally broke the silence.

"You were brave to stand up to Khem for as long as you did." He said.

Much to her own surprise and embarrassment, Jaynah felt her cheeks turn red at the compliment. She bit her lip again, not trusting herself not to say something foolish.

"Yet you didn't come when you heard the fighting." He observed.

Jaynah turned away in shame. Rationally, given how easily she had been defeated, she doubted her presence with the others would have been enough to turn the tide. This Sith was obviously very powerful to command the monster who had defeated her, and to dispatch so many soldiers alongside two trained Jedi Padawans. Even though she knew she shouldn't have felt any need to justify herself to him, she couldn't quite restrain herself.

I had orders." She said finally, stung by her failure. "To stay and protect the commlink at all cost."

"Ah." The Sith reflected. "I appreciate the sense of prioritization, but strategically, it seems a poor move. Any force strong enough to fight through the other defenders would surely be enough to overwhelm you, no matter how bravely you fought." He sighed. "Well, don't worry, Padawan. In my time, I've received foolish orders, too."

Jaynah's cheeks went red again, this time in anger. "Master Inul is not foolish!" she stammered. "She's one the wisest masters in the Jedi Order!"

The Sith tilted his head again.

"One of the wisest masters in the Jedi Order commanded three young Padawans to defend a position virtually guaranteed to be attacked, supported by only a handful of Organa troopers." He reflected, in a tone that managed to avoid sounding insulting. "All while knowing full well that there were Sith, Mandalorians and other Imperial troops nearby who might be called upon to lead the attack on said position. Even the Thuls knew full well about this cave; they simply lacked the resolve to attack directly."

He paused, letting his words sink in.

"In your master's defense, I suppose there's no way she could have predicted that a sole Sith acolyte would have a dashade shadow assassin at his command."

Jaynah had, by now, turned away again. The Jedi had always taught her to process information free of emotions, and she was having difficulty rejecting his words out of hand. Her mind had noted what he had called Khem; a 'dashade shadow assassin'. She'd never heard of one of those. Maybe if she saw Tython again, she could look them up in the Jedi Archives.

For the moment, she had greater concerns.

"Did you really help Samus?" she asked quietly, still concerned for her friend.

The Sith nodded.

"She'll have a bruise on the back of her head for a few days, but otherwise she'll be fine. I gave her a mild sedative after healing her. Nothing nefarious, I assure you. I simply didn't want her interrupting me before I left."

Jaynah blinked.

"You … healed her?"

"I did."

"Why?" Jaynah stammered. "How?"

The Sith tilted his head again. She imagined he had an amused expression on his face behind his mask.

"Well, first as to the 'why', I healed her because her death or permanent damage would not have served my purpose, as I see it." He sounded very much like one of Jaynah's early teachers on Tython, patiently explaining an abstract philosophical concept. "As to the 'how', well, I must admit that the dark side is sorely lacking in healing abilities. But I do not limit myself to those skills taught by my order. In my travels, I have learned all knowledge is worth having."

Jaynah tried to wrap her mind around what he was saying.

"But I didn't think Sith could use light side abilities." She protested.

"Oh?" he asked. "Does that mean Jedi never call upon dark side abilities?"

"Of course they don't!" she exclaimed defensively.

The Sith didn't say anything to that, just continuing to look down at her. Jaynah wondered if he was raising an eyebrow at her beneath his mask or making some other incredulous expression. She suddenly wished she could see his face so she could at least try to read his expressions.

She felt young and foolish. Blast him.

"I mean, I know some Jedi have… stumbled from the path…"

"Exactly." The Sith opened his hands wide, as if pleased she had arrived at the point. "They made a choice to use an ability not normally endorsed by their Order. Usually while in a state of emotional distress. Likewise, I can generally only make use of healing abilities when in a state of relative calm."

Jaynah reflected on that.

"Don't your Masters object?" she finally asked.

"Well, my current Master is, perhaps, more open-minded and results-oriented than some. But the simpler explanation, my dear Padawan, is that people can't object to something as long as they don't know about it."

"Oh." Jaynah was certain that this was the strangest conversation she'd ever had. If she lived to see tomorrow, she'd have to meditate on this to process everything.

The Sith meanwhile, dropped to a knee, allowing her to look at him levelly.

"Here. Give me your hand." He reached out an open palm.

Jaynah's defenses suddenly raised again as she pulled away from him, wrapping her broken hand into her robes.

"Why?" she asked defensively, distrust apparent in her eyes.

The Sith paused at that, letting out a slow sigh.

"Because there is nothing I could do to harm you if you gave me your hand that I can't do to you without it." He finally said. "So really, you have nothing to lose."

She tried to find some fault with his reasoning but couldn't. She was wounded, weaponless and outnumbered. It galled her, but she wasn't in a position to stop him from doing anything he chose to do.

Slowly, she reached out her broken hand.

He took it into his hands with surprising gentleness, slowly, tenderly extending the broken fingers.

Then he began. Jaynah could feel his concentration as the Force slowly emanated from him, jump-starting her own natural healing process.

Within a minute, it was done.

"Here. Try it now." He said, releasing her hand.

Slowly, Jaynah took her hand back, testing it and flexing her fingers. It was still sore but was certainly mended.

"I… thank you." She finally said.

"You are welcome." He replied. "Would you like to stand?"

Jaynah was suddenly quite aware that she'd spent several minutes now sitting on the floor of a rather dirty cave. She felt self-conscious.

"Yes. I would."

He rose to his feet, then offered her his hand. After a moment's hesitation, she accepted it, and he helped her up.

The Sith released her hand, and she swallowed nervously.

"What now?"

"Well. Are you going to try and interfere with my business with that commlink console?"

Jaynah shifted her feet. She felt stiff and was trying to resist the urge to stretch. She wondered if he was teasing her.

"You know I can't stop you." She said quietly. It hurt to admit that out loud.

"That's not what I asked you." He replied.

She looked up at him, now almost sure he was teasing her.

"I won't."

"Thank you." He bowed at the waist, then turned towards the console.

Here it was. He had turned his back to Jaynah.

She considered striking out at him through the Force. She didn't think for even a moment that she could beat him; much less the dashade still standing nearby. But maybe she could stop him from retrieving the data he wanted from the commlink, perhaps by damaging the console. It would go badly for her in the end, she was sure. Death or worse. But she didn't feat that end anymore. Perhaps she could salvage Organa's efforts to defeat House Thul on this day.

But she'd promised she wouldn't interfere, so she didn't. He proceeded to copy the data.

"To be completely honest with you, Padawan, I've found working with House Thul rather distasteful myself." He spoke candidly even as he worked the machine. "Jorad – their supposed leader and Lord – lacks the intelligence or courage to even deal with the problems in his own backyard, much less bring peace and stability to an entire war-torn planet. He requires constant hand-holding just to keep afloat." He clucked his tongue reproachingly again. "Still, all of us are asked to do things we find distasteful, yes? Especially in times of war."

With the information downloaded to a datapad, he turned towards her. "Don't you agree?"

"Yes." She swallowed. "I think I know what you mean."

"Well then, that appears to be that."

She couldn't let the burning question go unasked.

"Why did you tell me all of this? Why are you being kind to me?"

The Sith tilted his head again.

"For two reasons, really."

"First, I would like for you to convey a message to your masters. As I told you, my business on Alderaan concerns neither the Jedi nor the Republic. I have no interest in the struggle for this world. I was drawn into this minor operation against my will, and I plan to avoid all this going forward."

"Please tell them all of this going forward. Please tell them I don't care about your Order or the conflict between the dark and the light. I simply wish to go about my business in the galaxy. As long as they don't interfere with me, I will attempt to not interfere with them."

She nodded slowly. "I'll deliver the message… there was a second reason?"

He tilted his head.

"Honestly, I never get a chance to actually speak to a Jedi. Usually its all lightsabers and lightning storms and Khem trying to eat people. It was enlightening to actually speak to one of you without all of that unpleasantness."

"I… okay." She finally answered. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Thank you for listening to me prattle."

"Just… one more question?" she finally asked.

He made a sound that she suspected was a chuckle through the mask. "Alright."

"Why do you serve the Empire?"

He tilted his head. "Why do you oppose it?"

"Well, because it makes war." She offered.

"As does the Republic."

"Because it seeks to destroy everything we value, our way of life."

"Based on our history recordings, the Republic has successfully driven the Sith and their empire to the brink of destruction on multiple occasions over thousands of years."

"Then because the Sith are slaves of the dark side."

"And the Jedi are slaves to the light."

She felt frustration building up. She knew the Sith Empire was wrong, but she had a hard time forming arguments to that effect at this moment.

"Because the Empire enslaves alien species." She finally offered.

That gave him pause. He said nothing for a long moment, then he finally reached up behind his mask and carefully undid a latch.

He took the mask off.

Beneath it, a blue face looked back at her, with red eyes and jet-black hair. He was heavily scarred, with lacerations criss-crossing across his cheeks; clearly this was a man who had faced considerable abuse and even torture in his time. She was surprised at how young he appeared; he was only a year or two older than she was. She had the strange thought that he was rather good-looking, despite his scars. (She quickly banished that thought.) Still, the face was somehow rather friendly and pleasant.

He smiled at her.

"You're a Chiss." She said in surprise.

"So I am." He answered. "My own people exiled my family and I when I was a child, through no fault of our own. My mother was taken from me, and later my sister. The Empire branded me a slave, its true. But no Jedi arrived to free me from my servitude, or from the pains fate had in store for me."

"It was the Sith who freed me, my dear Padawan. The Sith offered me the chance at the power to seek my own destiny. Whether that chance proves to be an illusion or no, a Sith is what I am. The dark side gives me strength, it's true. But I have my own goals, my own dreams, my own ambitions. And my actions are taken according to my own choice."

"When I meet my end, as we all must, I will do so as a free man."

With that, he moved to put the mask back on, securing it tightly around his head. Jaynah was left in stunned silence.

"Neither of us can be sure whose reinforcements will get here the fastest. I would suggest that I leave here first, then you wait two minutes before following." His voice was once more filtered through the mask. He paused then withdrew a stim-pack from his belt. "This should be enough to get your friend on her feet, at least. You can use her lightsaber in case you are attacked before Organa comes for you."

"Thank you." She offered sincerely.

"You are welcome."

He turned to depart. The dashade, looking terribly bored by this point, moved to follow him.

"Wait!" Jaynah called out.

The Sith turned and regarded her.

"I… I don't even know your name."

"Ah." He nodded. "My name among the Chiss I've long since abandoned. I call myself 'Ozibamnu' now." he paused. "You may call me 'Ozi', if you wish. That is what the pirate who pilots my ship insists on calling me."

Jaynah thought for a moment.

"Thank you, again. Ozi." She finally said, giving him the bow of a Jedi Padawan. "My name is Jaynah. Jaynah Lonestar."

He bowed in turn.

"Jaynah. That is a lovely name."

Jaynah felt some of the pink returning to her cheeks.

"May the Force be with you, Ozi." She said finally.

"And may the Force serve you well, Jaynah." He answered.

With that, they parted company.

END


End file.
